In His Service

This is the traditional time when Christians remember the disciple Peter, whom Jesus called to the Rock, upon which he would build his Church. And during this time across the Christian world, there will be Ordination services taking place.

The ordinands will gather to take their vows: to proclaim by word and deed the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to fashion their lives in accordance with its precepts. To love and serve the people among whom they work, caring alike for young and old, strong and weak, rich and poor. They shall vow to preach, to declare God's forgiveness to penitent sinners, to pronounce God's blessing, to share in the administration of Holy Baptism and in the celebration of the mysteries of Christ's Body and Blood, and to perform the other ministrations entrusted to them. And they shall be so instructed to nourish Christ's people from the riches of His grace, and strengthen them to glorify God in this life and in the life to come.

The Archbishop will invite the assembly to pray for the ordinands as they prostrate themselves in a Biblical gesture of humility. The ordinands will be asked, before God, and all who will stand as witness on that day, whether they believe that that they are truly called by God and His Church to this priesthood?

The congregation will be asked whether they defend the ordination of the candidates. And the congregation will be asked whether they shall support them in their ministries.

The newly ordained will be vested with a stole and chasuble; the stole representing the authority entrusted to the priest; and the chasuble, being a distinctly Eucharistic garment, which is worn only for the celebration of Mass.

The Archbishop will anoint the hands of each new priest, as a sign of consecration familiar from Biblical times. And the archbishop will present each new priest with the gifts of the assembly - bread and wine, to be offered to God in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The liturgy is indeed beautiful and it forms a sacred (and legal) bond between the priest and God’s Church.

But it’s not only the ordained who possess the fullness of God’s call. Each of us has the potential to discover that God is real, and to become sensitive to the way He directs our lives. Indeed, St Augustine once described the Church as a school for sinners, not a museum for saints. It's for those who have glimpsed something of the divine, as well as those who have not - but long to.

Responding to God's call involves risk and maybe loss, and even a kind of dying. But the outcome, if you can only stick with it, is life. God is generous and any real vocation is directed outwards towards that mysterious hope that the Gospels call the kingdom of God.



O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favourably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery. Help us to grow into Jesus’ way of loving, who never imposed uniformity, but redeemed individuality. And let us revel in Your gift of life in all its abundance, today and every day, by Him through whom all things were made, Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.



Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9

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What It Means To Be A Priest